A biometric may be used to identify a person or to verify identity. Biometrics may also be used by systems for identification of persons and authentication of identity. A known method of biometrically identifying others relies on use of fingerprints. The system typically requires a fingerprint from a known individual. A fingerprint from an unknown person may then be compared with the saved fingerprint in order to determine if the unknown person is the known individual.
A computerized system is also possible wherein collections of fingerprint samples are scanned, assigned identities, and stored in a database. A fingerprint from an unknown person may then be scanned into the system. The system then searches the database of known fingerprints and compares the known fingerprints with the unknown fingerprint. If certain thresholds are met, the system then outputs a “match” that signals a high probability of identification. The stored identity of the matching fingerprint from the database is then used to hopefully identify the unknown person.
Additionally, biometric identification methods use single types of information, such as voice, retina, photo, or biographical data, to identify individuals. The systems may review a retinal scan, a fingerprint scan, or a voice identification to control access to locations or information.
However, systems lack a fusion of these sources and types of biometric information relating to identity. Further, these systems require the assistance of an individual in order to collect data. For example, a voice identification system requires an individual to repeat a phrase to obtain baseline data. Identification is performed by having the individual repeat the same phrase and comparing this phrase with the stored phrase. Such systems do not allow for a robust identification system and are prone to error and poor performance. Further, the systems do not provide for the correlation of individuals with their associates using multiple biometric information sources.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to be able to collect information from various sources and identify a subject individual without inconveniencing or requiring the cooperation of the individual. Importantly, it is desirable to fuse multi-modal biometric analysis having a unified interface for ease of operation. It is further desirable to allow for enrollment, searching, and identifying of new individuals. It is also highly desirable to be able to analyze and correlate identities of individuals with their associates. Additionally, it is highly desirable to fuse the collection of multiple data sources, identification using multiple data sources, permitting identification and correlation using a common interface. It is also desirable to provide standard interfaces to work cooperatively with off-the-shelf biometric identification software and systems to perform specific collection and analysis functions.